The Price of Friendship
by Daemon McRae
Summary: Be careful what you wish for. Or who you make your wishes to. Yutaka x Minami. Done for Fanfiction Contest #4


**The Price of Friendship**

Kobayakawa Yutaka was in a great hurry to get things done. After all, a very important day was coming up. "Ooh, I don't know if I can get everything together in time," she mumbled to herself. It was very stressful, because it was a special day for someone very important to her. "I do hope Minami-chan likes the present I got for her..." she trailed off, as a realization struck her. "I didn't get Minami-chan a birthday present!" she howled, and rushed out of her room, and down the hall.

Konata had just turned a corner when she became aware of the presence of another person approaching at a rapid velocity. "OOF." she exclaimed as her younger cousin crashed into her. "What the... Yu-chan? What's up? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I have to go to the store and buy Minami-chan a birthday present!" she answered very quickly and loudly. Konata's head spun a little at her response.

"Ok, ok, jeez. You still have, what, 3 days? Including today? And besides, you just got home from school an hour ago. SHouldn;t you be doing some homework or something?"

Yutaka just brushed her off. "Oh, I don't have the time! I'm sorry onee-chan, but I have to go!" She then barreled out the door, pausing barely long enough to slide a pair of shoes on, her mind racing as fast as she was. _Oh, what do I get her? She already has almost everything! Her family's got lots of money, so I can't try and show off with something expensive. Maybe I should get some arts and crafts materials and make her something. But what if she doesn't like it? After all, I can't draw, and I'm not very good at writing. Oh, if only I could do something for her like I did for my big sister, but I can't. After all, I'm co...conf...co...confes, ooh, I can't even say it in my head!_

Her thoughts trailed off, as she passed a small shop she hadn't noticed before, a few blocks away from the department store she was aiming for. But for some reason, it stood out quite obviously today. Obvious and... inviting? She was filled with an urge to investigate.

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an antiques shop. Very quaint, and kind of old-timey. _Maybe something from here? There has to be a bunch of stuff in here that she doesn't have. I could get her something really unique! But it all looks really expensive. _She took her time, glancing around and peeking at objects here and there. Old tea sets, dining ware, fabrics, some old artwork, even tapestry and antique rugs. By and by, it was an antique store. But something about the items seemed, different. The store didn't feel musty and posh, like a lot of antique shops she'd visited. There was something different abut these items. They seemed almost brand new, but their craftsmanship appeared ageless. Almost as if all of the time between their creation and today had just... not happened. Yutaka was fascinated. Surely the perfect gift was in this shop, but where?

"Can I help you with something, little one?" said a wizened and pleasant voice from somewhere behind the girl.

Yutaka let out a yelp as she jumped, and wheeled around, all in the same motion. A display case wobbled slightly as she brushed against it. She paused to steady it, then noticed a worn, old woman next to her, with a content expression on her face. "Oh, oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. I was just looking-"

"-for a present?" the old lady finished for her.

Yutaka was taken aback. "What? Oh, yes! But how did you know?"

The old woman gestured to the window, where the name of the store was spelled out. "Why, it's an antique gift shop, of course. Why else would you be here?" she chuckled as she finished her sentence.

The red-haired girl smiled and chuckled along. "Yes, of course. I'm trying to find a present for a friend of mine, her birthday is only a few days away. I want to get her something really special..." she trailed off, and blushed a little.

The woman raised an eyebrow, and nodded. "Oho, I see. Someone special, huh? Perhaps you want to say something important?" Yutaka quickly became flustered, and started to stammer out an excuse, when the old woman raised a hand. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Girls have to have their secrets, right?" Again she chuckled. "Come now, I think I have just the thing. So tell me, what kind of person is this girl you've fallen for?"

Yutaka started to make an excuse again, but stopped herself. This old lady seemed to see right through her. So she stated, rather quietly at first, "Well, she's-she's a very... nice person. Sh-she goes out of her way to... to protect me. She's always taking me to the nurse's office and stuff..."

The old lady nodded along, and wove through a small maze of shelves and display cases and stands. By the time they had reached a back counter, the short girl was going full force: "She's really good at the piano! And she's really athletic. You should see her run! She's so pretty, and she's always there for me. She's really soft-spoken, but..."

The old woman raised a hand to stop her. "Now, deary, I would love to hear you spill your heart out for this girl, but I think you should take a look at what I have for you." She smiled warmly, and gestured down at a desk in front of her.

Yutaka's gaze followed the woman's hand. Before her, in a box lined in red velvet, was a beautiful comb. Polished white, with gorgeous milky pearls along the spine, and glimmering, almost crystalline teeth, it was a beautiful item. She practically blushed when she saw it, and imagining it in Minami's hair, running it's teeth through her short, green locks...

"My, my dear, are you ok? You seem very flushed all of a sudden!" the lady said worriedly.

"Oh? Yes! Yes, I'm fine! Oh, it's wonderful! But it looks so expensive, I don't know if I have that much..."

The little old lady glanced at her appraisingly, and slowly smiled. Although this smile was, different. It didn't quite reach her eyes... "Oh, deary. I'll tell you what. Why don't you take it, and give it to this girl, and tell her how you feel. If she doesn't return your feelings, then you can just bring it back, free of charge."

Yutaka was taken aback. "Oh, no, I couldn't do that! What if I lost it? Or forgot? That's not very fair to you, is it?"

The old woman merely nodded her head. "Don't worry about it, little one. I'm sure you'll be alright."

Yutaka thought hard about a way to make it up to the old woman, but for now decided to accept the shopkeep's offer. "Thank you very much, ma'am! I'll be sure to let you know what she says!" she exclaimed excitedly, while the woman wrapped up the comb. She handed over the package, and Yutaka was out the dor soon after, her face alight with joy.

"Yes, dear, I'm sure you won't forget..." the old woman trailed off, as she stepped into a back room.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

The sky was dark, the clouds were sparse, and the crescent moon shone bright. Below, families and friends slept quietly, or talked into the night. Dogs barked and howled at the moon, cats meandered their territory, and the night owls of the human populace followed.

In a quiet house, on a not-so-busy street, little Yutaka had laid her head down to rest. On a nightstand not so far away, a small black box stood, innocently, quietly. Yutaka breathed serenely as she dreamed what one could only assume to be a pleasant scenario. Bright skies and good friends, good food and love. Yet, fr each time that Yutaka breathed in, if one looked close enough, they would see...

The box moved closer. Breathe in. Move. Breathe ut. Breathe in. Move. Breath out.

Until, finally, slowly, the little black box reached the edge of the stand, scooting just enough to topple over. And as it did, it swung open, and the comb within fell unto Yutaka's pillow. With a soft _thud_, just enough to rouse the young girl from her slumber.

"Wha... oh! Well, hello there, little comb," she she said sleepily. "How did you get down here. Let's put you back, shall we?" she fumbled slightly with the ivory piece, and slid it back into it's red velvet lining. Snapping the box closed, she placed it back on the nightstand, scooting it towards the center. "There, now you won't fall."

The box did not move again that night.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Yutaka awoke the next morning, much less flustered than she had felt the previous day. With a great deal of her preparations for Minami's party accomplished, she had much more time to accomplish other things. But first, she had to get out of bed. Which, for as comfortable as she was, and as much as she wanted to, was proving very difficult.

"Ooh, why is it so cold out there and so warm in here? I don't want to get up..."

"Yu-chan! You're going to be late for school!" came the voice of her older cousin.

Yutaka shot bolt upright. "School? Oh, no! I've gotta get moving!" She scampered, scurried, and all but marathon ran through her morning routine, getting her clothes together, and washing her face. She was barely able to accomplish enough fast enough to be able to sit down for breakfast.

"Wow, Yutaka, that's not really like you," Soichiro commented. "Why did you get up so late?"

The young girl blushed as she sat down with her family for a morning meal. "You know how you get really warm under the covers, and you can tell it's really cold outside? It makes it really hard to get out of bed, doesn't it?"

Konata nodded. "Oh, yeah. Definitely. But that usually doesn't stop me, I wrap a blanket around myself as I get up, and then go straight for a hot shower. Then I've got my uniform on, and at that point, I'm not cold anymore." Yutaka nodded along as her cousin spoke, and focused on finishing her breakfast. "So, Yu-chan, what did you get Minami-san for her birthday?"

Yutaka chose this moment to blush furiously, for obviously unrelated reasons, and simply stammered, "Um, well, I-I found this.. um, this gift shop and I kind of..." she trailed off, poking her fingers together.

"Konata grinned at her. "Oho? Did you find something to confess with?"

The general reaction couldn't have been timed better. Soijiro slammed his hands down on the table, yelling, "What?" just in time for Yutaka to fall backwards, and kick the underside of her table just hard enough, that the whole thing toppled over on the old man. The two girls took some time to extract their parent figure from the table.

He wasted no time in continuing his sentence. "What? Yu-chan, confess? I will not have it! I accept no boyfriends from either of you!"

Konata grinned slyly, and informed him, "But Yutaka is confessing to Minami-chan!"

The younger girl's skin was flush down to her roots. "K-k-k-ko-ko-Konata! What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Yu-chan," Konata teased, "It's pretty obvious. You two are always together!"

Just then, their old man began to cry. "I can't believe it! My Yutaka has found true love! I'm so happy!"

"But that's not it at all!" Yutaka whined. Her face was growing very hot. And she was getting rather upset.

"Oh, Yu-chan, it's nothing to be embarrassed about! I've had crushes on girls before, too!"

"But, but..." she stammered. She was more than upset now, she had become rather angry.

Konata continued on. "I can see it know. Yu-chan in a beautiful white dress, with Minami in a striking white tuxedo-"

_Crack._ The sharp sound of the slap resonated through the household, and everything stood still. Konata was frozen in place, a stark red streak across her face. Soijiro was paralyzed, unable to process what had happened. And Yutaka simply stood her ground, her hand poised for another slap. "Don't you talk about us that way! You have no idea what you're on about, Konata!"

And with that, the red head stormed out of the house, grabbing up her bag, and slamming the door on the way out.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Back in the bedroom, a simple, white mist exuded in small tendrils from the little black box.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Yutaka had cooled down considerably by the time she had gotten to school. So much so, in fact, that by the time she saw Konata again, she practically tripped over herself running towards her, crying. SHe crashed into her older cousin, and sobbed into her arms. "Onee-san! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I'm really sorry!"

Konata was greatly taken aback, but took time to comfort her anyway. "Oh, Yu-chan. It's not your fault. I just don't know when to leave these things alone, is all. I'm sorry I got you so upset. How about we do something special this afternoon, and be friends again, ok?"

Yutaka nodded softly into the taller girl's shirt. She sniffed loudly, then said, rather quietly in contrast, "Ok, Kona-chan. I'll see you later. I love you."

This time it was Konata's turn to blush. "I love you too, imou-chan."

As the two parted ways, Kagami began to grill Konata. "What did you do? I've never seen her cry like that! You're horrible..." and her voice trailed off as the two walked away, leaving Yutaka to rejoin her friends.

"Yutaka, what was that about?" Hiyori asked quietly. A great deal of people in the hall were parting ways, after stopping to watch the sisterly spectacle.

Yutaka sniffed loudly and explained what had happened that morning, leaving out certain... details. Minami was with them, after all. So she simplified it as Konata making fun of her over a crush she had, and going a little too far. Hiyori was quick to sympathize. "I can completely understand. My older brother never lets me alone if I happen to mention there's someone at school I like. So, are you going to tell us who it is?" Hiyori asked, her eyes suddenly alight.

Yutaka again blushed to her tips. "Um, not really... I kind of don't want to embarrass her..." she started, then clamped a hand over her mouth.

Hiyori excused herself soon after, saying something about needing tissues. So Minami and Yutaka went to class by themselves.

"Um, Yutaka... this person you have a crush on..." Minami started, pausing just short of the classroom door.

Yutaka turned to stare at her friend, rather unseasy. "Y-yes?"

"I would like to meet them. I want to make sure they aren't going to cause you any trouble." she added firmly. Yutaka couldn't help but notice how strong and protective she seemed.

It made her happy. "Oh, Minami-chan, don't worry. You know them very well, and I'm sure you'd approve!" she said excitedly.

Minami simply nodded, and they rejoined the class.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Back at the Izumi household, in a small bedroom, a very thin, very light mist had trailed out of the small black box, and was easing towards the floor.

xxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

The school day itself seemed rather quiet, as Yutaka spent most of it in her normal routine. One would notice, however, that she had a rather cheerful spring in her step. Patricia approached her about this during lunch. "Oh, Yutaka? I was noticing, you seemed much happier today. Did something really good happen?"

Yutaka simply smiled, and answered, "I just had a really good conversation this morning."

Patricia nodded. "Oho, that one about the girl you like?"

The shorter girls tendency to blush lately didn't make it any easier when she did. "H-how did you hear about that?"

The blonde girl waved it off. "Oh, I was just chatting with Hiyori earlier. So, is it true? You have a crush on a girl?"

Yutaka fidgeted uncomfortably. Her friend was being rather loud, and there were still people in the room. Even Minami and Hiyori had just walked in. "Um, I'd rather not talk about it at school..." she said in a very small voice.

Patricia leaned over the table. "Oh, come on! I rarely get to hear about this kind of thing in real life! Come on, out with it!"

"Is that true, Kobayakawa?" said a rather gruff looking boy. "Are you a lesbian?" A few heads turned at his words.

"Wh-wha-what?" Yutaka shouted. "What are you-? That's really rude!"

"But it's true, isn't it?" he continued. Yutaka was getting rather upset again. "You totally like girls!"

Yutaka suddenly got very quiet, and stood up slowly. She took a step towards the boy, but Minami stepped in front of her. "There are some things that you should just not say. I would advise that you leave her alone."

The red haired girl couldn't see her friend's face, but became rather certain of her expression when she saw the boy cringe and back away. Her anger seemed to fade, and a rush of appreciation and affection took it's place. "Thank you, Minami-chan."

Minami turned her head, and nodded slightly, smiling.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Once again, to the Izumi household, to Yutaka's room. And still, the mist grew, faster now, slowly spreading across the floor.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Patricia and Hiyori didn't ask Yutaka about her crush for the rest of the day, which was just as well. Their friend seemed rather distant after lunch. It seemed the only person she would really talk to was Minami. And, once the school day had ended, was the only person she wanted to be around. Most people didn't make the connection between their friendship and Yutaka's supposed crush, as the two of them together had become a very common sight. Some people conjectured, however. Just not to their face.

They had gathered their books, and had just changed their shoes, when something caught Yutaka's attention, out of the corner of her eye. It was the boy from earlier, walking alone down the club room hall. He turned a corner and disappeared. But not before a thought appeared in her head.

"Um, Minami-chan? I'm going to go use the restroom, ok?"

The older girl simply nodded, and sat down at a bench to wait for her.

Yutaka nodded, and smiled, then stepped away. She turned the same corner the boy had, and saw him walk up the stairs. She walked slowly, uncertainly, as if unsure why she had decided to follow him. But the closer to the stairwell she drew, the more deliberate her steps became. Soon, she was following him up the steps, matching his pace, timing her steps with his. Quietly, she followed.

Up the stairs, down the halls, she followed. She turned corners when he turned around. Step by step, she trailed him. Until, finally, she saw him walk into an unused classroom at the end of the hall. it was marked and closed off, but the boy stepped under the tape, and slid the door open.

Yutaka went to inspect the tape. _Closed for repairs._A thought began to form in her head. They had been working on this room for weeks. Nobody seemed to come in here. She thought briefly about what the boy was doing here, but that was quickly replaced by another thought, as she slowly slid the door open a crack. There he was, just standing there, leaning against an open windowsill.

The more she thought, the clearer it became. She didn't even register stepping under the tape, entering the room after him. She wasn't aware of her movements until she was right behind him. And he hadn't even turned around. _I could just give him a slight shove. Just a quick push. We're on the third floor. But what if I'm not strong enough? What if he doesn't fall? Or what if the fall doesn't do enough? I should-_ her thoughts cut off as she saw a small board propped against a chair right next to her. Part of the roofwork they were doing in this room.

She picked it up, turned it around in her hands. _Just one hit. He'd go over, and he'd hit ground. It would be so easy._ And still, he hadn't noticed her. Not that she cared. Not that she noticed. _It would be so easy. Just one swing. I could do it. He was rude. Mean to me. Made Minami upset. Made fun of me. it would be so easy. Just one-_

Crack.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

And at that moment, amidst the wisps of white smoke trailing along the ground, darker, grayer tendrils mixed in. And still, the mist spread.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

"Where were you?" Minami asked quietly. Yutaka glanced up, snapping out of a reverie. The taller girl was staring at her with a sense of concern.

Yutaka simply smiled, and clamped on to Minami's arm. "I'm ok. I just lost track of time thinking about something. I guess I was still a little bothered by what that boy said. But I'm ok now. Thank you."

Minami simply smiled and nodded, and the two of them went home.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Once again, Yutaka awoke, this time, very excited. it was Minami's birthday. And a weekend. She spent no time getting herself dressed and ready. Nobody had noticed the mist from the box, it seemed. And by the time Yutaka had gotten home the day before, it had simply faded away.

Dressed and ready in no time at all, Yutaka could hardly wait to go to the party. She held the little black box in her hands, and seemed to thrum with energy. So did the box, ever so slightly, but Yutaka was much to excited to notice something so trivial.

And by the time Yui showed up to take her to Minami's house, she was practically vibrating with energy. "Coming!" she exclaimed, tearing through the house, and leaping into the car.

The majority of the household witnessed this spectacle, but no one very much said anything. They all knew how excited she was. So Yui simply said her goodbyes, and they drove off together.

Along the way, Yutaka hummed merrily to herself, holding the little box as a cherished child. Yui glanced over occasionally, mainly keeping light conversation, but couldn't help herself. "So, Yutaka, what's in the box?"

Yutaka's eyes shifted slightly, and her smile lessened a little. "It's just Minami's present. It's a surprise."

Yui elbowed her slightly. "Come on, you can tell me. What's in the box."

Her expression quieted a little more. "I'd rather not say. Like I said, It's a surprise."

Yui just shrugged it off, and chided her, "Oh, come on, I'm your big sister! You can tell me anything! I just wanna know what you got her!"

"NO!" Yutaka barked. Her expression had darkened considerably, and she was hunched over the box, guarding.

Yui was a little rattled. "O-ok, Yu-chan. You don't have to tell me..." she said quietly.

The rest of the ride was accomplished in silence. Neither of them noticed the light mist trailing off of the box.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

Yutaka bounced on the balls of her feet, as she waited for her friend to answer the door. Yui noticed that she had considerably more energy than usual, and had chalked up her outburst to her little sister just being too excited. It was good to see her with so much energy, so she'd let it go quickly. The childlike expression on her face was too pure to stay upset with, anyway.

And when Minami answered the door, Yutaka greeted her with a smile so warm and loving that both girls were stunned, ever so briefly, by it's purity. "Happy Birthday, Minami-chan!"

The taller girl couldn't help but return the smile. "Thank you, Yutaka. Hello, Yui-san. Come on in."

The red haired girl practically skipped into the room, and joined what appeared to be a much bigger group of people than she expected. Minami's mother, as well as Miyuki and her mom, along with Hiyori and Patricia, had all assorted themselves around the living room, chatting amiably. _How am I going to confess to her in front of all these people? NO! I won't lose here! I've already decided I can do this!_ she screamed in her head, and kept smiling, joining the other in banter.

Pleasantries were exchanged, and they ate a hearty meal, followed by a beautiful cake. But the big moment, the one Yutaka had been waiting for, was the exchange of presents. One by one, the others handed Minami her gifts, ranging from a small stack of hand-drawn comics (Hiyori), to a new booklet of piano music (Miyuki). Finally, and lastly, it was Yutaka's turn.

The shorter girl repositioned herself, so that she was only inches away from Minami, both of then on their knees at the side of the table. The crowd of girls had grown quiet. "Um, Minami-chan, I found this in a gift shop earlier, and I couldn't stop thinking about you when I looked at it," she said, handing her the small box. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for awhile, Minami-chan."

Minami's eybrows shot up as she opened the box, and she stared quietly at the precious white comb within. Her expression softened as she stared at it, and she soon began to smile. Dreamily, she took the comb out of it's box, and stared quietly at it in the palm of her hand.

"Minami-chan? May I put it on you?"

Minami was quiet at first, fixed on the comb, then she said, softly, "Yes."

Yutaka smiled brightly again, that pure, radiant smile. She reached over, taking the comb, and Minami leaned forward to allow her to slide it into her hair, where her hair pins normally sat. it's brilliant white blended smoothly with the bright green of her hair.

Yutaka leaned back slightly, as Minami raised her head. They stared at each other for just a second, until, finally, Yutaka told her, in a hushed voice, "Minami-chan, I love you."

The taller girl's eyes widened, then her eyelids drooped, and her smile grew. "Yutaka, I love you too."

The comb glowed softly, a subtle white light, and as the two kissed, white tendrils eased from it, wrapping them softly amidst the two. A soft white knot of light smoke slowly tied itself between their entwined fingers, and their eyes misted over.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

In a darker, musky room, in the back of a certain antiquery, a little old woman chuckled to herself. "Hmhmhm. Congratulations, deary. It seems that you will be happy. Oh, yes... very happy."

And nearby, a small crystal sphere glowed with a familiar soft white light, yet the lighting in the room changed not at all.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcx

And it seemed, as of yet, that no one had noticed the peculiar behavior of the special gift. They were all too taken aback by the more obvious spectacle before them. The room had grown quiet rather quickly, yet neither Yutaka nor Minami dare to look away from each other, as if afraid that doing so would undo everything this moment had accomplished.

And then, there was noise. Mostly cheering, from Patricia and Hiyori, who for all intents and purposes, had predicted this a while back. Miyuki had given a small, "Congratulations," and was smiling politely. Yui was cheering on her little sister, who, along with Minami had completely forgotten about everyone else.

The two parents, Miyuki and Minami's mothers, seemed to be taking this new development in very slowly. Minami's mother simply smiled and nodded. It was very difficult to determine her mood. Miyuki's mother, however, seemed a little upset. "Oh, dear," she said. "This is not what I expected."

Minami and Yutaka seemed to become very aware of her at that point. "What do you mean?" Yutaka said slowly, her face darkening. Minami's seemed to mirror hers, and the slow white glow of the comb faded grey slightly.

She rested her face on her palm, and simply stated, "Oh, I'd just thought that I would have gotten her the best gift, but there's not a whole lot I can do to top that. Oh well," she added quietly, getting up and heading for the kitchen. "I guess I should just try harder next year. Well, at least you two look happy!" she exclaimed from the other room.

The girls' faces softened a bit, and the glow subsided. THe two seemed to bask slightly in the attention, and the party flared on.

xcxcxcxcxcxcxccxcxcxcxcxc

It was much later that evening, and the girls had decided that Yutaka stay over, so that the two girls could spend more time together. On the whole, however, it seemed that the decision itself had been made by Minami and Yutaka, neither wanting to leave the other's side, and growing rather aggressive whenever one or the other of the girls suggested it. But still, no one seemed to notice anything different, chalking up their behavior to two new lovers who couldn't bare to be apart at first.

The couple in question had retired to bed, yet they were not asleep. They lay awake, conversing in hushed voices behind their closed door.

"Did you see their reaction?" Minami whispered.

"They're all jealous." Yutaka agreed.

"They tried to keep us apart."

"They even had the gall to say they were proud of us."

"They don't support us."

"They want us for themselves."

"We won't let that happen."

"No, Minami-chan, we won't." Yutaka finalized. And together, almost as one, they stood from their bed. Hands clasped together, they stepped in unison for the door. As it creaked open, the comb began to glow, it's usual soft white, with black glitter stirred in. And together they walked. They came upon the kitchen, and each took a blade, as together they walked.

Minami's mother did not hear the door creak open, amidst her pleasant dreams. She did not hear the steps as one, as they crossed the room. All she did hear, as she stirred awake, aware of a presence beside her, were two voices she knew, but could not remember, as if they were part of her faraway dream; "You won't keep us apart."

xcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxcxc

Across the street, in an equally quiet home, a window clicked open, and two girls stepped in. A few steps later, and some murmered words spoken, Mrs. Takara returned to sleep, never to rise again. Step, step, step, they came, opening doors and following halls. Click went the locks, and the doors hissed open, as the blades dripped blood on the floor. And still, the comb glowed, and still, their hands never parted. Not long after, Miyuki, too, slept forever.

The pair calmly strode, the comb an eternal black, now. Yet still visible in the twilight of streetlights, and the glow of the moon. There remained no soft white glow, just as their remained no colors in the young girl's eyes. And they stepped, stepped, stepped together. They walked without fitigue, crossing houses and streets, strolling for miles, hours on end. Until, finally, the bell of a shop door rang.

The little old lady bowed the two in, and they entered obediently. They strode in, careless, and followed a path one could only see if they were looking for it. The two all but glided through the store, and quietly entered a small room in the back, as the old lady followed behind them. A few moments later, some words were spoken, but none we would recognize. And their came a great flash, a pulse of soft white, and a cackle could be heard through the store. Then the old lady stepped out, holding the come, and whispered to it, "Welcome home."


End file.
